Department for Transport

Roads: Accidents

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to amend road traffic legislation to make it compulsory for drivers who run over a cat to report it to the police.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government has no plans to amend the legislation.The Highway Code advises drivers to report any accident involving an animal to the police, which I hope would lead to domestic animal owners whose animals are killed in road accidents being made aware of their loss.The police also advise drivers that, if possible, they should make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation.

Bus Services: Greater Manchester

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of congestion in urban areas on the number of buses that have to remain in service, in particular in Manchester.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The bus market outside London is deregulated, with the vast majority of services provided on a commercial basis by private sector bus operators. The impact of congestion in urban areas on the number of buses that have to remain in service is one for bus operators and local transport authorities to consider.

Shrewsbury-Chester Railway Line

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the causes of delays to work on doubling the rail line between Rossett Junction and Saltney Junction, and when they expect the work to be completed.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As this scheme is sponsored by the Welsh Government, we have made no such assessment.

Home Office

Rights of Accused

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many persons interviewed by police, but not charged, have had their names released on the decision of a senior police officer because of the threat to life, detection of further crime, or because of public interest or confidence, in the last period for which figures are available.

Lord Bates: The Home Office does not hold this information. However, the decision to release names and/or details of suspects in a criminal investigation are decisions for the police, which are guided in making such decisions by the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice (APP) Guidance on ‘Relationships with the media’.A key principle of the guidance is that the police have a duty to safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of information (including personal data) which must be balanced against the duty to be open and transparent whenever possible.There are clearly great risks in naming suspects and the guidance makes clear that decisions should only be made on a case-by-case basis, and that the police should not release the names of those who are arrested or suspected of a crime unless they have clearly identified circumstances to justify disclosure.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to broaden the remit of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Lord Bates: Within our Manifesto, this Government gave a commitment to “…develop the role of our elected and accountable Police and Crime Commissioners.”We have already announced proposals to enhance the PCCs current role in relation to police complaints and emergency services collaboration.We are actively looking for further opportunities to develop the PCC role as we move forward towards the next national PCC elections in 2016 so that they are able to shape policing services to local needs, as they are now doing in commissioning victims’ services, setting policing priorities and driving reform.

Police National Computer

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the direct read-only access to the Police National Computer (PNC) available to the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) is controlled so as to ensure that an SSPCA employee using the access is not able to read the information on the PNC which that person is not specifically allowed to see.

Lord Bates: Access to Police National Computer data is only provided where there is a lawful and justifiable reason. Permitted reasons include: protecting life and property; preserving order; preventing the commission of offences; bringing offenders to justice; any duty or responsibility arising from common or statute law and counter-terrorism.Users are only given access to the PNC data they are specifically authorised to see. Access is controlled by software features on the PNC controlling transaction types to which users have authorised access. All PNC transactions are audited, and usage is subject to independent audit by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).

Police National Computer

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to limit the access of charities and other non-governmental bodies to the Police National Computer.

Lord Bates: Access to the Police National Computer is strictly controlled, and decisions about who may have access to it are made by Chief Constables, through the Police Information Access Panel (PIAP). There are no plans at present to change these arrangements.

Cybercrime

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek to improve the effectiveness of national and global measures to counter internet fraud and other online crime.

Lord Bates: Cyber Security, including combating cyber crime, is a top priority threat to national security. That is why, through the National Cyber Security Programme, we have invested over £90 million over the last five years to bolster the law enforcement response, and we will continue to invest. As the Chancellor announced on 17 November, we plan to almost double investment in cyber security, including cyber crime, to £1.9 billion over the next five years.Cyber Crime, including internet enabled fraud will continue to call for a multi layered response from Government, Law Enforcement and Industry to successfully tackle the threat. At the National and International level the National Cyber Crime Unit in the National Crime Agency (NCA) will continue to lead operations to disrupt serious cyber crime at scale. This includes joint operations with industry and international law enforcement partners across the globe, to disrupt cyber criminals, attack their infrastructure and protect UK businesses and citizens.Having an accurate national picture of the threat is critical to informing our ongoing response. That is why there has been and will continue to be significant investment in Action Fraud and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, which has seen the reporting of fraud and cyber crime trebled, from 72,000 before the centralisation of reporting to over 230,000 reports. As a result of this improvement in reporting we have now got a much improved intelligence picture.Industry also has a central role in fraud and Cyber Crime prevention. That is why we are working with the banking sector and law enforcement agencies to more effectively disrupt fraudsters and protect victims. The Government also continues to raise awareness of cyber crime and fraud at all levels, through the Cyber Streetwise campaign, while providing advice to help individuals and small businesses adopt safer behaviours online and to be better protected. The third phase, launched in September this year focuses on promoting the adoption of three simple online behaviours: use of three random words to create a strong password; install security software on all devices; and always download the latest software and app updates as soon as they appear.The UK also leads international efforts to raise global cyber resilience through our work with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe and others, to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the threat from Cyber Crime. In the past three years the NCA has used Government funding to increase the investigative capacity of a range of Law Enforcement partners around the World. The projects, which range from 'on-the-job' investigative mentoring to legislative and technical training in the UK, focus on supporting the NCA's priority countries overseas and build capability and mutually beneficial relationships with key partners across the globe.

Police

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police officers there are in the UK per million of population; and what the comparable figures are for (1) France, (2) Germany, and (3) Italy.

Lord Bates: The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers per 100,000 population in England and Wales as part of the annual ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical release. The latest published figures are as at 31 March 2015. These figures can be found in table 4 of the data tables published alongside the release:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/444536/police-workforce-tabs-mar15.odsAs at 31 March 2015, there were 223 FTE police officers per 100,000 population in England and Wales. This excludes the British Transport Police and Central Service Secondments.The Home Office does not hold comparable data for Scotland, Northern Ireland, France, Germany or Italy.



Police Workforce Eng & Wales - Stats - 31.03.15
(Excel SpreadSheet, 174.25 KB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

North Korea: Broadcasting

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 4 November (HL2885), what assessment they have made, if any, of the reach and impact of radio and television in North Korea.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) does not produce viewing or listening figures for domestic media. However, in 2012 the consultancy organisation, InterMedia, produced a report on the media environment in the DPRK based on a survey of North Korean refugees. The report, with some caveats from the authors, found that 74 per cent of those sampled were able to access television while resident in the DPRK, 42 per cent radio and 38 per cent a cassette player with a radio. The survey also found that 38 per cent of those surveyed considered domestic television to be their most important source of information while living in the DPRK, 21 per cent South Korean radio and 4 per cent domestic radio.

North Korea: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with EU member states and other European countries about the implementation of targeted human rights sanctions against named North Korean officials who are suspected of committing crimes against humanity.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain in close contact with other EU member states regarding our concerns over the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). These include discussion on how we can address concerns over the DPRK’s nuclear programme and how we can improve the DPRK’s appalling human rights record. During our meetings we have discussed the full range of measures at our disposal including the option of targeted human rights sanctions against DPRK officials. We will always carefully consider the impact and benefits of sanctions measures before they are imposed. These considerations include our ability to defend the legality of the sanctions should they be challenged under EU law and the likelihood of achieving our objective of improved human rights for North Koreans.

North Korea: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the North Korean population of implementing targeted human rights sanctions against named North Korean politicians and officials.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our policy of smarter sanctions requires that any new sanctions measures must consider broader policy objectives in parallel with the impact of any new sanctions on the general population. We would also consider carefully our ability to defend the legality of the sanctions decision under EU law. Existing UN and EU sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are based upon UN Security Council Resolutions prohibiting the further development of the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Any introduction of sanctions on human rights grounds would require the establishment of a new sanctions regime at UN or EU level. A key consideration would be the potential to improve the human rights situation in the DPRK weighed against the potential impact on the activity of non-governmental organisations undertaking important humanitarian activities inside the DPRK to assist some of the most vulnerable members of DPRK society.

Iraq: Iran

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian conditions inside Camp Liberty.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) monitors Camp Liberty and has judged humanitarian standards inside the Camp to be well in excess of basic humanitarian standards. Trucks containing food, medicine and diesel fuel continue to routinely enter the camp.We continue to engage with the Government of Iraq on the welfare of the residents of Camp Liberty. Our Embassy in Baghdad regularly raises this issue with the Government of Iraq. We support UN calls for more to be done to protect residents, but remain of the view that the Government of Iraq is responsible for security at the camp.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: EU Immigration

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 5 November (HL3049), what representations they have made to the European Commission regarding the inclusion of the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina in future meetings in which the Western Balkans migratory route is discussed.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government has not made representations to the European Commission regarding the inclusion of the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in future meetings in which the Western Balkans migratory route is discussed.The Government advocates tackling root causes of migration, robust enforcement of immigration rules and returns in all transit countries as well as EU Member States, and managed resettlement of genuine refugees. We welcomed and participated in the High Level Conference on the Eastern Mediterranean – Western Balkans Route in Luxembourg on 8 October which all countries of the region, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey and all EU Member States attended and we support the urgent implementation of the 17-point Plan agreed among leaders of Member States and countries most affected on 25 October.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Human Rights Watch report that some Saudi Arabian air strikes in Yemen violated international humanitarian law.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law in Yemen by the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition. We take any report of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law in Yemen by all sides to the conflict very seriously. We have raised our concerns with the Saudi Arabian government and have received repeated assurances of International Humanitarian Law compliance. We continue to engage with them on those assurances. The Saudi Arabian authorities have their own internal procedures for investigations and we encourage them to be open and transparent in this. We have also raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law and international human rights law.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel regarding the undercover raid by Israeli armed forces on a hospital in Hebron, resulting in the death of a relative of the suspect.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we are clear that medical staff should have the protection that allows them to do their jobs in safety. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv met Physicians for Human Rights on 9 November to discuss trends in human rights violations against medical staff. Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority on the urgent need to de-escalate the tensions.

Israel: West Bank

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about its decision to approve the construction of Israeli settlement units in Bethlehem and close to Ramallah.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised the issue of settlement announcements with the Israeli Ministry of Defence on 17 November and the Israeli Deputy National Security Adviser on 18 November. The Government has repeatedly condemned settlement announcements, and we will continue to call on the Israeli authorities to cease all settlement building and to remove illegal outposts, as required under international law.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following reports that Palestinian families living in the Humsa al Buqai’a herding community have been displaced to allow Israeli military training to be conducted.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not made any representations on this issue to the Israeli authorities.

Israel: West Bank

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the construction of solar farms in the West Bank on settlement land, and the protection for Palestinians' solar installations.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not made any representations on this issue to the Israeli authorities, the UK’s position on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and all construction within, is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two state solution.On the issue of Palestinian solar installations, we continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the arrest and interrogation by Israeli police of Palestinian children in East Jerusalem, in particular regarding reports that children aged between six and 12 have been arrested and interrogated without a parent present.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We consistently raise the issue of detention of minors with the Israel government. On 27 August our Ambassador in Tel Aviv lobbied the Israeli Military Advocate General on Children in Detention where the issue of child detention was discussed. We are aware of cases when the Israeli police have detained children under 12, and subsequently released them once their age has been verified. When officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised this with the police, they were told that the police do not hold children under the age of 12 but are not always aware that a particular child is below age.According to the law, the police may hold a child over the age of 12 suspected of involvement in a security offence without allowing his/her parents to be present at the time of his/her arrest and interrogation. This is true for both Israeli and Palestinian minors held on security offences. We continue to lobby for the Israeli authorities to consider changing the law for the sake of the well-being of the child.

Syria: Military Intervention

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the use of white phosphorus weapons in civilian areas by Russian forces in Syria and of the level of harm done to persons and the environment; and what action they plan, if any, as a result of that assessment.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are concerned at reports that White Phosphorus was used in Idlib Province on 12th November. We have seen reports that this was Russian in origin but this has not been confirmed.Protection of civilians in Syria is a priority for the UK. Attacks on civilians are prohibited by International Humanitarian Law. The UK condemns the indiscriminate use of weapons in civilian areas and calls on all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law. The UK will continue to provide support to civil defence organisations in Syria to protect civilians and save lives.

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government,in the light of the UN Security Council decisions on Women, Peace and Security, whether they have made representations to the UN that future peace conferences or peace negotiations on the situation in Syria should include a direct role for Syrian women’s groups.

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure women’s participation in future peace negotiations in Syria by supporting women’s groups in Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The second meeting of the International Syria Support Group in Vienna on 14 November agreed an outline timetable for Syrian peace negotiations, leading to transitional governance, a new constitution and elections within eighteen months. The International Syria Support Group will now meet on a regular basis, in parallel with Syrian-led discussions facilitated by UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan De Mistura, to take forward this process.Ministers and senior officials have made regular representations to the UN Special Envoy and other UN officials to impress upon them the importance of the inclusion of Syrian women’s groups in the peace process. We continue to encourage the moderate Syrian opposition to be gender-inclusive and were pleased that a senior female activist accompanied the Syrian National Coalition President, Khaled Khoja, on his official visit to the UK earlier this month. Our programmes of support to grass roots peace-building initiatives and civil society groups inside Syria support this objective, and are designed to ensure that Syrian women’s voices are heard and that they are represented in political negotiations.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, FCO, Tobias Ellwood MP on 20 July (HC6867), what assessment they have made of the legality of coalition airstrikes in Yemen, and to what extent that assessment differs from those produced by Human Rights Watch.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK supports the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition military intervention in Yemen, which came at the request of legitimate President Hadi to the UN Security Council, the Gulf Co-operation Council, and the Arab League for support by ‘all means and measures to protect Yemen and deter Houthi aggression’. We are aware of reports, including from Human Rights Watch, of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law by the Coalition. We have received repeated assurances from the Saudi Arabian-led coalition that they are complying with International Humanitarian Law and we continue to engage with them on those assurances. The Saudi Arabian authorities have their own internal procedures for investigations and we encourage them to be open and transparent in this. We have also raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law and international human rights law.

France: Terrorism

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make further changes to the FCO travel advice for France following the terrorist attacks in Paris on 13 November.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We will continue to keep the travel advice for France under close review given the evolving security situation in France. We encourage anyone planning on travelling to France to subscribe to travel advice e-mail alerts.

National Security

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the recent atrocities committed by ISIL in France, Egypt and the Lebanon, whether they have reconsidered the statement by the Foreign Secretary on 10 March that Russia represented the "single greatest threat to UK Security".

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As the Strategic Defence and Security Review makes clear, Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and destabilising activities in Ukraine directly challenge European security and the rules-based international order. We have long been clear that Russia’s actions are unacceptable. Nevertheless we need to work with Russia on key areas of shared interest: in particular to end fighting in Syria, and to focus on the shared aim of destroying the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. That was the basis on which the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), met President Putin at the G20 Summit in Antalya on 16 November.

Russia: Islamic State

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to co-operate with Russia in the fight against ISIL.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have a shared interest with Russia in tackling ISIL and bringing peace and security to the region. We are concerned that the majority of Russian airstrikes in Syria to date have targeted areas in which ISIL is not present. It is important that Russia continues to engage in the International Syria Support Group.At the G20, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), and President Putin agreed that the international community needed to find a way to work together to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria and focus on the shared aim of destroying ISIL.

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have received from the UN or other independent sources about the number of (1) deaths of, and (2) injuries to, (a) Palestinians, and (b) Israelis, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as a result of attacks for each of the last three years; what information they have on the number of perpetrators brought to justice for such attacks in the last 12 months; and what representations they have made to the government of Israel in the past 12 months on those issues.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs website, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in 2013 there were 38 Palestinians fatalities and 3,800 injured; in 2014 there were 2,310 Palestinian fatalities and 16,626 injured; and so far from 1 January 2015 to 16 November 2015 there have been 106 Palestinian fatalities and 10,626 injured. According to the same website, there were 77 Israeli fatalities in 2014 in the OPTs; and so far from 1 January to 16 November 2015 there have been 14 Israeli fatalities in the OPTs.We regularly discuss these issues with the Israeli government, both our condemnation of the attacks and the need to ensure justice for victims, and for the need for the perpetrators to be arrested and brought to justice. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently discussed these issues with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 3 November 2015.

Islamic State

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many representatives were present at the recent meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIL in London.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many women were present as representatives at the recent meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIL in London.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they took to ensure that women’s voices were included at the recent meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIL in London.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 28-29 October, the UK hosted the fourth meeting of the Global Coalition’s Communications Working Group, along with our Coalition Co-Chairs, the United Arab Emirates and the US. Ministers and senior officials from 32 Coalition countries participated. 149 delegates were involved in the meeting over the two days, of whom 43 were women.The meeting focused on digital communications and what more coalition governments could do, in partnership with civil society and digital industry, to promote positive voices and to ensure those promoting extremism and violent extremism online were not left unchallenged.The meeting agreed that highlighting women’s voices was a key part of the Coalition’s response to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s propaganda.

Palestinians: Universities

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the value of Palestinian universities as a human resource for Palestine and the wider Middle East; and what additional resources and support they plan to provide for their development and contribution to peace-building.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While the British Government has not made any assessment of the value of Palestinian universities, we do continue to encourage links between UK and Palestinian institutions.

Palestinians

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to minimise the restrictions and difficulties experienced by Palestinians both inside the Occupied Territories and in adjoining countries.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised this issue with Israeli National Security Advisor Cohen on 2 November. Our Consul-General to Jerusalem also raised this issue with the Mayor of Jerusalem on 28 October.

Burundi: Violence

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are assisting Burundi and its neighbours to prevent further sectarian violence.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK has been actively working with the international community to prevent sectarian violence in Burundi. Our activities in New York, the EU and the region, including calls from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), to the Burundian Foreign Minister, Ugandan Foreign Minister and African Union (AU) Peace and Security Commissioner have had an impact. There are signs the Burundian government is taking a more conservative approach in using the police and security forces. We have also pushed for the EU to start Article 96 negotiations with Burundi. Burundi has agreed to participate in Article 96 negotiations, having initially refused. We support a sanctions regime for Burundi whereby four individuals have been listed so far and the EU and AU are considering further sanctions on individuals. We continue to work with the AU who are mobilising the financial and political resources to assist with the mediation process between the East Africa Community and Burundi.

Palestinians

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are considering recognising Palestine as a state.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is a longstanding supporter of seeing a sovereign, democratic and viable Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security with Israel, and continues to be one of the largest donors to Palestinian state building efforts to that end. We reserve the right to recognise a Palestinian state at a time of our choosing and when we judge it will best help bring about peace.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Unemployment

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the likely impact of the outcomes of the Valletta Conference on Migration in reducing youth unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Action Plan agreed at the Valletta Summit on 11/12 November set out a clear strategy for tackling irregular migration that focuses on the root causes as well as the consequences. The Plan highlighted in particular the importance of providing greater job opportunities for young men and women, and stepping up support to young people in acquiring labour market-relevant skills through education, vocational training and access to digital technologies. These efforts will be supported through increased EU and bilateral funding - including a new EU Trust Fund - which we assess will help tackle youth unemployment and other drivers of migration.The UK is committed to ensuring that the pledges made at Valletta are followed up quickly and that progress is monitored. In the Horn of Africa, the main mechanism to achieve this will be the EU/African Union “Khartoum Process” on tackling migration. The UK took on the chair of the Khartoum Process on 23 November and hosted a Senior Officials Meeting in London on 24 November. Alongside our partners, we will use this process to drive forward concrete action.

Ashraf Fayadh

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia concerning the death sentence imposed on the Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government is aware of, and concerned about, the case of Mr Ashraf Fayadh. We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, especially in cases which include the use of the death penalty for a crime which isn’t deemed “the most serious”. We take every opportunity to make the Saudi Arabian authorities aware of our views.The Government is a strong supporter of freedom of expression around the world. We believe that people must be allowed to discuss and debate issues freely, challenge their governments peacefully; exercise the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and speak out against violations of human rights, wherever they occur.

UN Committee on Disarmament and International Security

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government at what level the UK will be represented in the Open Ended Working Group established on 5 November by the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (Disarmament and International Security) and to be convened in Geneva.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK and the four other Non-Proliferation Treaty Nuclear Weapons States voted against the Resolution “Taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations” in the UN General Assembly First Committee earlier this month which established an Open Ended Working Group. The Government believes that productive results can only be ensured through a consensus-based approach that takes into account the wider global security environment. We remain open to an appropriately-mandated Open Ended Working Group provided that it is conducive to a constructive dialogue and we are considering whether to attend the meeting in Geneva in 2016.

Bahrain: Human Rights

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Bahrain following the arrest of Issa Al-Tajer, the father of the president of Lawyers for Human Rights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We understand from lawyer Mohammad Isa Al Tajer that his father is not in detention however his brother, Ali Isa Al Tajer, remains in detention following his arrest on 5th November 2015. His arrest was prompted by the discovery of a “secret tunnel” below one of the houses his company built in a village. Investigations are ongoing and charges remain unclear. We continue to monitor the situation closely.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Aviation: Government Assistance

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they are giving to the aviation industry in the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As announced in the Autumn Statement 2015, the Government is providing £7 million through the Regional Air Connectivity Fund to support new air routes promoting domestic and international connectivity and stimulating jobs and growth. We are also already providing over £5 million in support for two air routes to London via Public Service Obligations.In addition we are working with partners in aviation and aerospace sectors to develop both the skills and the modern infrastructure they need,Aviation employers, including British Airways, all the UK’s major airports and the Royal Air Force have formed a Trailblazer group to develop new apprenticeship standards for the sector. Standards currently under development are aviation operations manager level 4, aviation ground specialist level 3, airside operator level 2 and aviation ground operative level 2. These apprenticeships will provide new training routes for the sector, which will attract government funding.New Anglia LEP is also supporting the development of an Aviation Skills Academy at Norwich Airport through a £3m growth deal.The Regional Growth Fund has supported the project to divert the A45 in Solihull which has facilitated the extension of the runway at Birmingham Airport to enable direct flights to the west coast of the USA and China. The fund has also provided two awards to GE Aviation to research novel and new technologies to increase aircraft operation and emissions efficiencies, and the development of new manufacturing processes for the aviation industry.Finally, Gloucestershire LEP is putting in place key infrastructure at Staverton Airport to enable the private sector to develop more aircraft hangars in order to secure the long-term viability of the airport and maximise its contribution to the local economy. The project is seeking to attract aviation-related businesses including aircraft maintenance, flight training and corporate jet management companies.

Arts: Higher Education

Baroness Afshar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of cutting the funding at higher education level of arts subjects on (1) the choice available to students, and (2) the creative industries.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: As with other degrees, since 2012, Higher Education Institutions with an Access Agreement approved by the Office for Fair Access have been able to charge up to £9,000 a year for an arts degree. This funding comes via student loans and universities compete on quality and their offer to students. The Government also supports specialist institutions such as art and music colleges through the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s Institution-specific Funding.We value the creative industries which is why we support them through these and other policies. We are working with industry to take forward the recommendations in *CreateUK, the strategy for the sector developed by industry members of the Creative Industries Council.

Erasmus+ Programme

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support and promote the Erasmus+ programme, which aims to boost skills and employability through education, training and sport.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The Erasmus+ programme enables organisations and citizens to achieve their potential through international education, training and sport opportunities.A body called the National Agency (a consortium of the British Council and Ecorys UK) deliver the Erasmus+ programme in the UK. The Government supports the National Agency’s delivery, aligns the programme with Government objectives, and represents the UK in European meetings on Erasmus+. The National Agency has a communications team that is dedicated to raising awareness of the Erasmus+ programme. The Government does not duplicate this work.

Department for International Development

Mesothelioma

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the incidence of mesothelioma worldwide, and of which countries are most at risk from it.

Baroness Verma: Data on mesothelioma deaths is collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the WHO mortality database. The WHO recognises that the global mesothelioma burden remains unclear, but the number of reported mesothelioma deaths and the number of countries reporting deaths has increased in recent years. The WHO, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization and other intergovernmental organisations and civil society, works with countries towards elimination of asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma.

Syria: Refugees

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent comments by European Council President Donald Tusk that Russian military action in Syria is increasing the number of refugees to Europe; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the US-led coalition's military action on the number of Syrian refugees.

Baroness Verma: We continue to closely monitor the humanitarian impact of Russian airstrikes in Syria. We are particularly concerned at UN reports that Russian-backed regime offensives have caused the displacement of at least 140,000 people in Aleppo, Hama, and Idlib governorates since 5 October. We are currently not aware that the flow of refugees has increased as a result of Russian military action. However with displacement on such a scale we cannot rule out that it will have an impact on refugee flows.Unlike the Assad regime and its allies, who are bombing indiscriminately, Coalition military efforts in both Iraq and Syria are specifically designed to minimise civilian casualties in line with International Humanitarian Law.We continue to call upon all parties to the conflict to uphold International Humanitarian Law and protect civilians.

Department for Education

Schools

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Secretary of State has now formally withdrawn the commitment made in The importance of teaching: the schools white paper 2010 concerning the role of local authorities in commissioning new provision and overseeing the transition of failing schools to new management.

Lord Nash: Local authorities are under a statutory duty to secure sufficient school places in their area. They can increase the number of school places by proposing the expansion of a maintained school or seeking to fund the expansion of an academy to meet basic need. Where a local authority identifies the need to establish a new school, s6A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 requires it to seek, in the first instance, proposals to establish a free school. Local authorities can, if they wish, assess proposals and recommend their preferred provider. However, the Secretary of State makes the final decision on whether or not to enter to enter into a funding agreement with any of the proposers.The Education and Adoption Bill is clear that all failing schools must become academies and local authorities, along with governing bodies, are under a duty to facilitate the conversion. The latest draft of the Schools Causing Concern guidance, which is currently out for consultation, makes clear that local authorities have an important role in working with Regional School Commissioners to ensure the rapid and effective transferof failing schools to sponsor-led academy trusts.Local authorities therefore have an important role to play in education and this commitment has not been withdrawn.

Castes: Discrimination

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of their decision to delay the publication of their feasibility study regarding establishing baseline data to evaluate the effectiveness of caste legislation with their commitment to open government.

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether it is now possible to establish baseline data that could be used to determine whether the law on caste discrimination is working effectively.

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further consideration they have given to whether amending the Equality Act 2010 to include the word "caste" would change or clarify the legal position, given the provisions already in place in section 9(5)(a) of that Act.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: This Government has been giving consideration to the legal position on caste discrimination in light of the Tirkey v Chandhok Employment Appeal Tribunal judgment which suggests there is an existing legal remedy for claims of caste-associated discrimination under the ‘ethnic origins’ element of Section 9 of the Equality Act 2010.Our consideration of the research report commissioned by the coalition Government, designed to determine the feasibility of conducting a national survey to quantify the extent of caste discrimination in Britain, is part of this process.We remain mindful of the Open Government Action Plan published by the Coalition Government in 2013, to the extent that this concerns the results of commissioned research.

ICT: Education

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to promote the availability of computer-making and robot-making kits for children.

Lord Nash: There are a number of resources available to support computing education and schools are best placed to decide what will be most effective for their pupils.The national curriculum in computing emphasises the academic discipline of computer science. Through studying topics such as computational logic, algorithms and data representation, pupils are obtaining insight into how the digital technologies that they use every day actually work and understanding how these technology products result from human ingenuity and rational design processes. We want young people to have the opportunity to actively create new technologies, rather than being passive consumers of them.The Government has spent more than £4.5 million over the past three years to support schools in delivering high quality computing teaching. This includes £3 million for Computing At School to build a national network of over 350 ‘Master Teachers’ in Computer Science whom schools can commission to provide training for their teachers.

Home Education

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children were being home educated in each of the years 2010 to 2014 inclusive.

Lord Nash: This information is not collected by the Department for Education. Local authorities maintain voluntary registers of the number of children being educated at home.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Policy

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the debate in the House of Lords on 5 November (HL Deb, cols 1811–40) on the regeneration legacy of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, what assessment they have made of Lord Moynihan's remarks that the UK should have a sports policy.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: I am grateful for Lord Moynihan's valuable contributions to that debate in the House.The Minister for Sport has made it clear that a new approach to sport is needed. The Government published a consultation paper on a new sport strategy in early August and the responses received are being considered. The Government will publish its new strategy for sport in due course, the first such strategy for 13 years.

World Anti-doping Agency

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Governmentwhat assessment they have made of the work of the World Anti-Doping Agency, in particular in setting regulatory standards against doping and educating athletes and coaches to shift the culture against cheating.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has improved its compliance and reporting processes, resulting in the recent suspension of six countries for non-compliance and a further six countries placed on its watch-list. Last week, WADA's Foundation Board increased its scope to conduct internal investigations and strengthen its whistleblowing process. WADA President Craig Reedie's statement that values-based education is the best weapon for clean sport is a view shared by UK Anti-Doping and implemented through its successful 100% Me education programme.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Subsidies

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 9 November (HL3057), whether they will now answer the additional questions asked about whether planning consent is required for farmers to erect notices advertising receipt of EU grants; and whether they will require all such advertising notices to include information about the ratio of UK contributions to the EU budget and the sums returned by way of grants to farmers and others.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Local planning authorities can provide advice on whether consent is required for a notice in a specific location and decide whether such advertisements fall within any of the classes of advertisements that do not require express consent. General advice on advertisement consent is set out in national planning guidance on the GOV.UK website.There is no requirement to include information about the ratio of UK contributions to the EU budget and the sums returned by way of grants to farmers and others.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Supported Housing

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the impact of the changes proposed in the Housing and Planning Bill on supported housing schemes.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: A full impact assessment of the Housing and Planning Bill has already been published (attached) and can be accessed at: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-010.pdf.



Housing and Planning Bill
(PDF Document, 712.2 KB)

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Government

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 29 October (HL2879) concerning the 1998 Belfast Agreement, whether the answer applies to changes in the names of cities and towns in Northern Ireland other than Londonderry.

Lord Dunlop: The Government has no plans to change any names of towns or cities in Northern Ireland, and would only do so with consensus. It remains fully committed to supporting the institutions and principles established under the Belfast Agreement and to affording due respect to the cultural traditions in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Government

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what dates in the last 24 months the government of the Republic of Ireland attended in any capacity meetings held under section 1 of the 1998 Belfast Agreement.

Lord Dunlop: The Government has held regular meetings with the Irish Government over the last two years in accordance with the established three-stranded approach.

Department of Health

Diabetes: Health Education

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase the number of people living with diabetes who receive structured education courses to help them self-manage their diabetes, in the light of recommendations by NICE.

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost over a five-year period of providing group-based education courses for all people living with diabetes.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Quality Standard for diabetes, attached, sets out that people with diabetes should receive a structured educational programme. NHS England is statutorily required to have regard to this.There are a number of national and locally developed patient education programmes available including Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (DAFNE) for Type 1 diabetes, and Diabetes Education and Self-management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed (DESMOND) for Type 2 diabetes.While there is still much room for improvement, the proportion of people with diabetes being offered structured education is improving. 16% of people newly diagnosed with diabetes were offered structured education in 2012/13 compared to 8.4% of those diagnosed in 2009. In the same period the number of people newly diagnosed with diabetes offered or attending structured education rose from 11% to 18.4%.No estimate has been made of the cost over a five-year period of providing group based education courses for all people living with diabetes.The Department is developing plans to improve outcomes for those with diabetes. This will be announced in due course.



Quality Standard for Diabetes
(PDF Document, 191.28 KB)

Radiation Exposure: Children

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of research on the links between the risk of cancer and radiation spikes during the refuelling of nuclear power plants, whether they plan to carry out a meta-analysis of European epidemiology studies about incidences of leukaemia in children under five living within five kilometres of nuclear power plants.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public Health England (PHE) has advised that it considers the conclusions reached by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) in their 14th report published in 2011 remain robust, that there was no evidence that living near a nuclear power station in the United Kingdom is associated with an increased risk of childhood cancer. PHE is not aware at this time of any plans for a meta-analysis of European epidemiology studies about incidences of leukaemia in children under five living within five kilometres of nuclear power plants.COMARE is a Departmental expert advisory committee that provides independent advice to Government on the health effects of natural and man-made radiation. A copy of their 14th report is attached.



COMARE 14th Report
(PDF Document, 2.84 MB)

Mesothelioma

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations on public funding to match charitable support for a National Mesothelioma Centre have been received by (1) HM Treasury, (2) the Department of Health, and (3) the Department for International Development.

Lord Prior of Brampton: These Departments have received representations concerning this issue from the noble Lord, Lord Wills of North Swindon and other noble Lords. The Department of Health has received a letter from the British Lung Foundation that mentions this issue.

Mesothelioma: Research

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to secure funding for research into mesothelioma over the last two years.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The usual practice of the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and of the Medical Research Council is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. Both funders welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including mesothelioma. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition.The NIHR launched a ‘themed call’ for mesothelioma research proposals in 2014. Fifteen individual applications have been received, of which two have been approved for funding to date, two are under review, and eleven have been rejected.

Mesothelioma

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their most recent assessment of the annual cost of mesothelioma to the NHS.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Financial information is not held at this level, and we are not aware of any recent assessment of the annual cost of mesothelioma to the National Health Service.